And it looks like there's something American in the air at the moment. Only recently I found myself making coleslaw in the midst of winter. And two of the four cakes I brought along to K's mum's place were distinctly American - Manhattan cheesecake and Chocolate brownies. It's not surprising, of course, considering that manyofmyfavouritefoodblogsanddailyreadsarewritten by Americans. No wonder then that my culinary mind and appetite lusts after American classics every now and then. However, the brownie recipe I've used for years is from Thorntons, the British high-street chocolatier. I've tried few others, but this is the one I keep returning to over and over again, when I'm craving chocolate. I don't like crumbly and over-baked brownies. This recipe results in brownies with a perfectly chewy-crispy top, and moist-chocolatey inside (even if one cannot really see that on the photo). I love large squares of it when still warm. And when it's cold, I cut it into tiny squares - no bigger than 2 cm - and eat as nutty chocolate candies :)

Line a square cake tin (24x24 cm) with a parchment paper.Melt the butter and chocolate in a bain marie or microwave. Cool a little.Whisk eggs and sugar with an electric mixture. Stir in the melted chocolate and butter mixture.Fold in flour, salt, chopped walnuts and vanilla extract and stir until well combined.Pour the batter into the tin, and bake in a preheated 170˚C oven for 30-35 minutes, until the cake is chewy-crisp on the top and still moist inside.Serve when still warm.Alternatively, let cool in a tin, then cut into (smallish) squares.

17 comments:

delicious... i always want to try making my own brownies. but there are so many recipes that i just feel overwhelmed. do you have a suggestion which chocolate brownie recipe you have tried is the best so far?

No matter how good my brownies are, I'm always looking for a better recipe. Is there such a thing as the ultimate brownie? Or is this my excuse for baking more and more?! Will definitely try your recipe, because I also like my brownies on the chewy side.

Your photo is gorgeous! And, as for the brownies, well... I have to do something with those 2.5 kilos of Barry chocolate that I bought recently for purposes of "economy"! This looks like the perfect start.

What a classic this is...I think you can never have to many brownie or chocolate chip cookie recipes to try! :) I am definitely filing this one too...thanks Pille for sharing it! They do look divine :)

I love weekends like that, they will buoy me through the coming week in a good mood. You've described exactly the kind of brownies I like - I hate the cakey kind or the ones that are dry in the middle. Yours look heavenly.

Lobstersquad – I can just imagine how much better and more rewarding the brownies taste after all that anxiety :)

Chloe – thank you for your very kind words :) No cookbook just yet (and if there is, it’ll be in Estonian at first). Re: photography – K. is taking at least half of them, plus he paid for all the new gear, so he deserves all the praise :)

Joey – not even sure I’ve got a good chocolate chip cookie recipe!?!?

Margot – of course you must!!

Susan – they were all eat-immediately-type cakes. But if you ever come over, I’ll bake any cakes you request :)

Kevin – so how will you deal with it then? LOL

Laurie – they were actually much moister in reality than they appear on the photo, believe me :)